This route map is intended to assist staff in planning and delivering the overall vision for Curriculum for Excellence.
It has been developed to signpost the relevant support materials available to assist staff in the planning of learning, teaching and assessment of Higher Sociology.
The vision for the new qualifications is to create assessment opportunities that follow and support learning and teaching. This follows the principles laid out in Building the Curriculum 5 and makes assessment a natural part of learning and teaching.
Education Scotland has published support materials to help staff develop programmes of learning drawn from three sources: course materials commissioned by Education Scotland, other support materials produced by staff seconded to Education Scotland and course materials provided by staff through their education authorities. Further materials will be added as they become available.
These support materials are not intended to constrain staff, hence they are neither prescriptive nor exhaustive.
They provide suggestions on approaches to learning and teaching that will promote development of the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills for Higher Sociology. Staff are encouraged to draw on these materials, and existing materials, to develop their own programmes of learning which are appropriate to the needs of learners within their own context.
The link to Education Scotland’s support materials can be found below together with a number of other subjectspecific links you may find helpful as you develop programmes of learning for Higher Sociology. These links are followed by a sequential list of the key guidelines, advice and support for the Higher Sociology qualification . This information is intended to support staff in deciding the most appropriate ways to generate evidence and assess candidates.
Education Scotland NQ course materials on GLOW (login and password required) http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/sociology/index.asp
(copy and paste this link into your browser).
Sociology Central http://www.sociology.org.uk/
BBC Education
Website exploring sociology topics (aimed at GCSE) http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zbbw2hv

SOCIOLOGY
Times Educational Supplement website
Website including teacher materials (requires registration) http://www.tes.co.uk/sociology-secondary-teaching-resources/
S-Cool
A level revision website, but contains many topic areas which are relevant to the Higher. http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/sociology
Revise Sociology
Sociology revision sites for non-SQA syllabuses but useful Higher topics there too http://revisesociology.wordpress.com/
Get Revising http://getrevising.co.uk/resources/level/a/subjects/sociology
The main SQA Sociology page is found at http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45744.html
with pages specifically related to
Higher at http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47903.html
. Staff should also regularly check the updates and announcements section of this page.
The course specification can be found at http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/CfE_CourseSpecification_Higher_HealthandWellbeing_Sociology.pdf
There are three units:

Human Society

Culture and Identity

Social Issues.
In these units, which are open and flexible, personalisation and choice is enabled through the ability to make use of a variety of contexts/topics. The mandatory content relates to course assessment and candidates must cover the mandatory course content in preparation for course assessment.
Human Society
The general aim of this unit is to develop learners’ understanding of the sociological approach to studying human society. This will be achieved by developing and using analytical skills to investigate sociological approaches to studying society, research methods used and the relationships that exist amongst individuals, groups and institutions as viewed from different sociological perspectives and theories (SQA Unit Specification).
Culture and Identity
The general aim of this unit is to enable learners to develop their ability to use sociological concepts, theories and research to investigate features of culture and identity in a changing social world. Learners will consider their own and others’ cultural experiences to develop an understanding of cultural identity and diversity (SQA Unit
Specification).

SOCIOLOGY
Social Issues
The general aim of this unit is to develop learners’ sociological understanding of contemporary social issues by enabling them to acquire skills in evaluating and applying sociological theories and research evidence. Learners will develop skills in using a range of sources, including research evidence, to justify points of view. (SQA Unit
Specification).
Further mandatory information on course coverage is found on pages 7 to 9 of the course assessment specification. This breaks each unit down into sections and topics.
http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/CfE_CourseAssessSpec_Higher_HealthandWellbeing_Sociology.pdf
More detail on course coverage can be found in the course support notes. http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/CfE_CourseUnitSupportNotes_Higher_HealthandWellbeing_Sociology.pdf
The following document contains useful information on points of change and areas of stability across National 5 and new CfE Higher: http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/Sociology_Course_comparison.pdf
.
At Higher, added value will be assessed in a course assessment, which consists of a question paper and an assignment. The course will be graded A –D. http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/CfE_CourseAssessSpec_Higher_HealthandWellbeing_Sociology.pdf
Question paper
There will be a question paper of 2 hours, worth 60 marks, which will be carried out under exam conditions and marked by SQA. It will contain three questions, each worth 20 marks in total. It will test skills, knowledge and understanding.
A specimen question paper and marking scheme are available at: http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/SociologySQPH.pdf
.
Assignment
The assignment for Sociology Higher is worth 30 marks and involves a report of between 1500 and 2000 words excluding references and footnotes. Learners will devise a hypothesis and carry out secondary research on the topic to find out whether available evidence supports or fails to support this hypothesis. Learners will need to analyse and evaluate their research findings and draw conclusions .
The assignment will be marked by SQA. The assignment will be conducted under some supervision and control. The assignment involves a free choice of topic for research which must be suitable for investigation by the candidate.
Assignment general assessment information can be seen at: http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/GAInfoHigherSociology.pdf
.

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Units are mandatory when taken as part of the Sociology Higher course but they can be taken independently. Unit support notes follow on from the course support notes.
Each unit specification gives details of the outcomes and assessment standards.
Human Society: http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/CfE_Unit_H_Sociology_HumanSociety.pdf
Culture and Identity: http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/CfE_Unit_H_Sociology_CultureandIdentity.pdf
Social Issues: http://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/CfE_Unit_H_Sociology_SocialIssues.pdf
Learners must meet all the outcomes and assessment standards, and staff should read the documentation carefully.
Evidence should be generated during the course of learning and teaching. Assessment evidence can be drawn from a variety of activities and presented in a variety of formats. All of the evidence does not have to be generated from one activity but can be from several tasks and assessments carried out throughout the course. Learners should have access to resources to complete the assessment task and no time restrictions should be imposed.
Staff should use their professional judgment when looking at the assessment evidence and ensure that minimum competency is met. They should undertake quality assurance regularly.
Three different ways of gathering evidence have been provided by SQA. One approach is unit-by-unit (Pack 1).
Another approach is the combined approach, which links knowledge and understanding from two units together
(Pack 3). There is also the portfolio approach. Here evidence is gathered from everyday learning using key classroom tasks (Pack 2). Unit assessment support is kept on the SQA Secure website, access to which is generally controlled by SQA co-ordinators within centres.
Verification
The verification process is meant to be supportive and not onerous.
Internal verification is the process of ensuring standards are applied uniformly and consistently within a centre in line with national standards. External verification is the process of ensuring that national standards are maintained consistently across all centres and is carried out by SQA.
Evidence required for external verification events can be found at: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/Evidence_required_for_verificationevents.pdf
.
Information on quality assurance is available at: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/58448.html
.
SQA has also produced documentation concerning key messages arising from verification round 1, which gives centres further guidance on issues related to the verification process. http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/45625.html

SOCIOLOGY
Prior verification http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/Prior%20Verification%20Centre%20Guidance%20FINAL.pdf
Staff who devise their own assessments can send them to SQA for prior verification, free of charge. This is only necessary where significant changes have been made to the unit assessment provided. It gives departments confidence that their proposed assessment is fit for purpose and meets national standards.
Internal verification http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/InternalVerificationGuideforSQAcentres.pdf
As a matter of course staff should be quality assuring their assessments by carrying out activities that they have always done, for example, double marking and blind marking. A sample of learners’ work should be marked by more than one staff member in a department, and in single-person departments an arrangement should be made with another local authority school.
External verification
In Sociology, schools will submit a sample of learner evidence for scrutiny by subject-specialist qualification verifiers. SQA intend that every school will be verified over the first few years. Verification will take place in
November, February and May. Twelve samples will be asked for. http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/Evidence_required_for_verificationevents.pdf
Centres must retain the evidence until 31 July of each academic year.
Results services http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/files_ccc/FA6669_SQA_Results_Services_A5_8pp_brochure_web.pdf
http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/65427.html
SQA offer two services to replace the appeals process:

Exceptional Circumstances Consideration Service (details to be provided to SQA within ten days of the learner sitting the external assessment)

Post-results Service – this consists of a clerical check and/or a marking review if the centre has concerns about the results of an individual or group.
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
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